G1on

THE NEXT GENERATION GUITAR PEDALThe G1onGuitar Effects Pedal

Here at Zoom we've been leading the way in multi-effects processing for the past twenty-five years. We're especially proud that our innovations in stomp-box effects pedals have become the tools of choice for guitarists the world over. Now, with the release of the G1on, we're taking guitar effects to new heights—and at an astonishingly affordable price. Whatever your level of expertise, whatever your style of music, the G1on is sure to become an instant favorite in your pedalboard.

Amazing effects, amazing features, amazing sound

Up to 5 effects can be used simultaneously, chained together any way you like. In addition, there are 68 built-in rhythm accompaniment patterns, and you can connect headphones to the output jack (as well as portable music players to the auxiliary input jack) for silent practice sessions. There's an onboard chromatic tuner that supports all standard guitar tunings, including open and drop tunings, and a Looper feature that allows you to record up to 30 seconds of CD-quality audio. Loop length can be set either manually or to a preset number of quarter notes (up to 64 beats), and you can loop to any rhythm pattern, with automatic quantization that ensures seamless start and end times.

Programming is simple and straightforward, thanks to a streamlined user interface and large backlit LCD screen. Advanced editing features such as Swap, Auto Save, and Pre Select make it easy to organize your patches for live performance and allow you to scroll through patches silently while keeping the current patch operational.

Dozens of different ways to make you a guitar hero

The G1on allows you to choose from 100 different onboard DSP effects. For ease of use, these are organized into the following categories:

Overdrive / DistortionTwelve of the best boosters, overdrives, fuzzes, and lead guitar sounds you've ever heard, including simulations of the BOSS OD-1, MXR Distortion+, Marshall Guv'nor, Fuzz Face, Big Muff, and Pro Co Rat. Our ExtremeDS effect offers the most powerful gain of any distortion effect in the world, and there's also a simulator that allows your electric guitar to sound like an acoustic.

AmpTwenty-two of the most realistic models ever created, including simulations of classic tube and solid-state amps from manufacturers like Fender, Marshall, Vox, Hiwatt, Mesa Boogie, Orange, Bogner, Matchless, and Diezel. Our amp sounds are so lifelike, you'll swear on a stack of speaker cabinets you're listening to the real thing.

Modulation / Special effectsRound out your sound with your choice of sixteen phasers and flangers, plus chorus, pitch shift, tremolo, and vibrato. Included are emulations of the ADA Flanger, Boss CH-1 Super Chorus, and TC Electronic Corona Chorus, as well as the Zoom HPS, an intelligent harmonizer that plays along in key, and a ring modulator that adds bell-like tones to your guitar. And when you're ready to go after some truly off-the-wall sounds, try out the endlessly rhythmic Slicer.

Delay / ReverbFourteen delays and natural-sounding reverbs, including rooms, halls, plates, springs, and tape delay simulators, all designed to add depth and spaciousness to your sound, with delay times of up to 4 seconds. You'll even find reverse delays, modulated reverbs, and particle reverbs here—everything you need to place your guitar in a realistic space … or a totally unearthly one.

NOTE: Manufacturer names and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. The names are used only to illustrate sonic characteristics and do not indicate any affiliation with the Zoom Corporation or Zoom North America.

Effects Chaining

Complex multi-effects made easy.

Question: When is a guitar effects pedal not just an effects pedal?Answer: When it's a multi-effects pedal.

The G1on not only allows you to select and edit any of its onboard effects, it enables you to use up to 5 of them simultaneously, chained together in any order you like. This kind of power and flexibility means that you can create rich, complex effects within the unit itself instead of having to use multiple pedals.

Stompbox chains typically start with dynamics effects such as compression, before routing the signal to wah, EQ, distortion, and/or overdrive effects. Modulation and spatial effects such as chorus, delay, and reverb are usually placed at the end of the chain.

However, there are no hard and fast rules on how to chain effects. Exciting new sounds can easily be discovered with a little experimentation and some imaginative effect chaining. The G1on gives you the ability to get creative with your effects chaining.

You can also easily edit chains you’ve previously created — and you'll find that simple changes in the order of effects can alter sounds dramatically. For example, an EQ set before an amp model can result in a radically different sound than having the EQ set after the amp model. That's because putting the EQ before the amp model serves not only to alter the tonal characteristic of the sound but to act as a signal booster as well. All this can be done internally with the G1on — much easier than physically changing the order of stompboxes.

Tuner

Stayin' in tuneGuitarists know the importance of playing in tune. But it's not just about getting your instrument in tune; it's about keeping it in tune all night. That's no problem if you're using a G1on, because its built-in Tuner makes the task totally stress-free, even under the pressure of a live gig and the heat of stage lighting.

The G1on Tuner is instantly accessible at all times and shows you whether the note you're playing is sharp, flat, or dead on. You can opt to either bypass the currently selected effect (thus giving you a clean, unaffected sound) when tuning, or to mute the signal altogether, allowing you to tune in silence.

The G1on Tuner is flexible, too: It can be set to a reference of A=440, or any value between 435 and 445, and can be used chromatically or in a variety of standard guitar tunings—even drop tunings of up to 3 semitones.

Rhythm

The perfect accompanimentRhythm training is an important part of every guitarist's craft. The G1on Rhythm function makes it easy and fun to do. 68 realistic-sounding rhythms are at your fingertips: PCM samples of actual drums playing real-life patterns in a variety of different genres—everything from rock to jazz, and from Emo to Motown. Dozens of quarter-note, eighth-note, and sixteenth-note rhythms are provided, in 4/4, 6/8 (shuffle), and 3/4 (waltz time); for the adventurous, there's even a 5/4 groove!

The Rhythm function can also be used in conjunction with the Looper function (see below), allowing you to craft complex guitar orchestrations overlaying the pattern of your choice.

Looper

Build a complete performanceGot a great lick that you'd like to expand on, or a distinctive chord progression that you think could serve as the foundation for an exciting improvisation or an inspired solo? Explore your creativity to its fullest with the G1on Looper, which allows you to layer up to 30 seconds of performance (through the effect or effects of your choice) in high quality 16-bit 44.1kHz audio. Recording time can either be set manually or to a preset number of quarter notes, up to 64 beats, and starting and stopping the Looper (as well as readying it for an overdub or clearing its memory altogether) is as easy as pressing a pedal—no hands required.

The G1on Looper can also be used in conjunction with the Rhythm function, allowing you to play along with the pattern of your choice.

Auto Save

Edits saved. All the time.Finally got that perfect effect crafted, but afraid you'll lose it? It'll never happen when you use the G1on's handy Auto Save function. When switched on, whatever you change will automatically be saved.

Alternatively, if you'd prefer the insurance of a safety net (so that you never accidentally overwrite a patch), simply leave Auto Save off. The G1on will then politely ask you if you want to save your edits whenever you move on to a different patch. Settings can be saved to the currently selected memory area, or to any other area, allowing you to store your effect wherever it's most convenient.

The G1on makes naming patches a breeze, too—simply use the parameter knob to dial in the characters you want. Patch names can be up to ten characters long, and each patch can be assigned its own level as well, allowing you to ensure consistent volume even when going from a gentle acoustic sound to heavy metal overdrive.

Pre Select

Choose the effect you want before the audience hears it. Normally, you'll want to store your custom G1on patches adjacent to one another so that stepping on its pedal will scroll through them in the order needed. In that circumstance, you'll also want the sound to change immediately, and this is the way the G1on normally operates.

However, if you haven't stored your patches in adjacent memory locations, or if you simply get the urge to experiment and change things up in the middle of a performance, just turn on the G1on Pre Select function. This allows you to scroll through patches silently, with the current sound remaining unchanged as you do so.

Power functions

More power to you.The G1on runs on just 4 AA batteries—either alkaline or rechargeable NiMH. Alternatively, it can be powered from an optional Zoom AD-16 AC adapter or via USB.

When running on batteries, the G1on powers up automatically when a jack is inserted into its input connector, and a unique "eco" function can be used to automatically power the unit off if unused for 10 hours.

Battery life (when using alkaline batteries) is more than 20 hours, even during continuous use, and a handy "battery remaining" display shows you how much power is remaining. To extend battery life further still, you can opt to have the backlit LCD display turn off automatically after 15 or 30 seconds after the pedal was last used.